Disclaimer: I do not own any of the charakters from Gokusen or Crows Zero.

Chapter Four (Part one) : A little piece of paper

~Normal POV~

~Saturday night~

After a Saturday of hard work, carrying, sorting and delivering all kinds of packages, Meg her back and shoulders were pretty shore that evening. Even so she was smiling in satisfaction. She had done about a 3 days' workload in one day, meaning she could not only have extra money this month, but also would be able to leave some evenings a bit earlier if she so whished. Yeay for a flexible boss! The work may be hard, but this made it so much better! Meg almost felt like grinning and pumping her fists in the air for that.

Being in her own little world Meg however didn't notice some boys coming out of a cram school, making her walk right into one and stumbling back as to not fall from the impact of the crash. The boy doing the same and accidently dropping some of his books. Seeing this, Meg was about to pick the books back up for him, before bowing down in apologize. However, her hand wasn't even close to the books or she heard the boy snap at her.

"What do you think you were doing crashing into people like that!? Don't you know some of us are actually creating a life and carry important stuff for that. These books are expensive, all I assume you would not have known that, would you?" The boy started while picking up his books. The glare he send her did not only show his anger, but more of disgust as if she was a scratch on his 'expensive' leather shoes. Meg knew she should have paid attention to where she was going and that it would be polite to show a form of apology, but after he looked at her like that, she no longer felt that way. She may not be the best of the best, but she certainly did not deserve that. If he was going to stand above her without reason, fine. She wouldn't give a shit about him then. Apology, her ass.

Meg simple watch him with a blank expression as he picked up his things and turned around to leave with his friend.

~Next day (Monday)~

It was early morning when Meg walked to school. A small distance before her see could see the six new friends walking to school together as well. The first time they did, a couple of days ago, it was so to say a bit strange for all of them. Now though it's seemed as if it has never been any different. Laughing, talking and joking together being a natural thing to do.

"Ah, I'm feeling lazy today." Honjo said as he did not feel like going to school today. It was such nice weather why waste it in a dull school building. Honjo sure wasn't the only one in his opinion though as Ren was quick to join by asking "Should we skip?" On which the rest of the gang agreed with Ichi saying: "That's a good idea." And Kura jumping in front of the group to present his idea to go karaoke. "Yeah, let's! Let's go to karaoke!" He said with a large grin on his face. Some of the group reacting with, "Karaoke again?" , before they heard a new voice from behind.

"Wouldn't that be a waste?" Surprised at the interruption all of the boys turned around to see the sores of the new voice. Only to be even more shocked that there wasn't anyone or anything behind them.

"Huh, who was that?" Ren asked no one in particular. Leaving everyone in confusion, asking the same kind of question. Secretly popping up behind them was Yamaguchi-sensei and the moment she was close, she started to ruffle the boys hairs. Applying enough pressure to have them duck their heads. Turning around after, while combing their own hairs back in place.

"Good morning you guys!" Yamaguchi practically shouted, standing proud before them.

"What the hack?" Every one of the guys muttered, excluding Kura who instead asked if he should deck her.

"Not going to class on such a perfect day for studying. How would you plead before the Sun God?" Yamaguchi asked her students, having overheard their earlier conversation. Too bad her last question didn't make sense to the boys at all, resulting in an collective "Huh?".

Not minding or simply being oblivious to their reaction, the woman just noticed the fact that the former rivals where now standing next to each other. Suddenly bubbling with even more enthusiasm, her big grin widened further. "You guys seem to be getting on great. I love it!"

Kura scowled at her. "What is that? Do you have a problem?"

Still smiling their weird and over enthusiastic teacher answered back.
"Of course, I have no problem! Isn't getting along a beautiful thing?"

The only reaction giving to the, in the boys opinion, idiot woman was: "Idiot." Before they collectively walked past her, going back to their own conversation. It now being about the food they would be buying. Karu wanting takoyaki and Honyo saying they should have some yakiniku.

Running though their lineup, pushing Ren and Yamato out of her way with an happy "Wooo!" Yamaguchi turned around telling the boys not to be late and that "Your beloved beautiful teacher is waiting for you !". That done she went running towards school, being late for the morning meeting herself already.

"Beloved?" Ren said followed by Yamato "Beautiful teacher?". Both pulling an disbelieving face. "Who?" They all said together. Not finding anything 'beloved' or 'beautiful' in the woman running away from them.

In class~

~Meg's POV~

"About next week's sports competition, because there aren't many of us in the class. Let's only aim at winning the rugby competition. I call it; Yankumi and 3-D's Win-at-Rugby Operation !" The woman practically screamed in the classroom from her platform in front of us. Trying to get everyone enthusiastic for something everyone thought a stupid waste of time, obvious not wanting to have anything to do with it. 'Can't believe she actually trying. Baka.' I thought while I put my head down on the table looking at her. Though instead of the class ignoring her, like I secretly expected, the class went in an fit of laughter. After a moment to calm down, it was Kuraki that had an question pop up in his head apparently. "By the way, what does Yankumi mean?" He asked her.

Which resulted in Yamaguchi-sensei happily answering him. I rolled my eyes when I saw her grinning like a little girl. 'Guess she likes the fact that one of her students shows the least bit of interest in her as teacher.' "That's my nickname. Don't hold back, call me that." She grinned. 'Which is not going to happen.' I thought with a small smirk.

A collective "What?" coming from the class. Probably all thinking of her as an idiot, again. I'm not opposing them.

Ignoring the confused en scuffling reactions from the class, Yamaguchi continued. "We're late getting started, but we can catch up. It's time for us to be united and aim for victory! Oh !" She ended her little speech with an enthusiastic yell. Punching her right arm into the air, the class laughing at her weird antics.

Yamaguchi pulled a weird, but most confused face, not understanding why the class was laughing. "Hey, did you hear what I said?" She asked.

Somewhere in the middle of the back of the classroom, Ogata, sitting next to Kazama answered her. His voice sounding extremely bored in his low voice. "It's a pain." He said.

An small "Huh?" came from Yamaguchi's mouth, her eyes widening.

Signing, I turned my attention elsewhere. This conversation was pointless. Too bad I still heard bits and pieces of it. Every now and then stopping my wandering track of thoughts.

So I heard Ichimura answer his slow minded teacher. "The sports competition doesn't matter." Sounding careless.

But now that Yamaguchi understood their mindset…, she was having none of that. Just holding herself back from screaming at them, she raised her voice. "It does matter. If it helps this class come together as one!"

"It doesn't matter if we do." Kazama's voice sounded.

"Even if we participated, there's no way we'd win." Kuraki said after and not wasting my time Kamiya followed with: "You know, it's a waste of time."

And that's what I think of this conversation too, I couln't help but think again. Sadly Yamaguchi thought different. "In this case, it's not about the result." She started saying. "It's about everyone working together."

Somewhere in the room there was a statement that it's not the Olympics, probably from Ogata or Kazama. The question following was definitely Honjo.

"Rugby's sweaty, right?" He asked grinning, as if that was the perfect reason not to play.

"What are you saying? Rugby is a manly sport! Right, Ohira?" Yamaguchi asked the boy who was always holding an ruby ball. Knitting my brows together I started to think if I had ever seen him play with the thing.

"This is fashion." Ohira answered in an dry voice, making me slightly shake my head. 'Really…? Always holding an rugby ball for fashion?' The thought tucking at my lips.

Ass for Yamaguchi, she pulled her now almost infamous confused face. "Huh?"

I could her Ichimura's voice saying something along the lines of: "We'd probably lose for too many fouls anyway." Before Yamaguchit took over again.

"Anyway… anyway… How can you young people be so apathetic ?! You'll never know unless you try and see !" She started. "Anyway! We're starting practice today!"

"Rugby is … passionate sport. One for all, all for one!" was the last think I heard, in an faraway voice, as my mind finally focused on an old memory of Izaki pulling Genji in the little pool at Suzuran by the little party celebrating the start of GPS.

During this time Yamaguchi, again, tried to get all the boys to follow her to the rugby field. This time for training rugby instead of playing kick-the-can, but the result staying the same. A day of skipping class.

~Thursday~

Thursday started out as a pretty normal day for me. At school I did a little homework and a bit of reading while the boys were goofing around in the classroom. That is until Surawatari-kyoto decided to storm in the class together with his shadow and Yamaguchi-sensei.

Peeking up from my math problem, yes I do a little homework, I saw him putting a framed poster of the chairwoman on the chalkboard. The picture giving me such an extreme urge to laugh, I had to lean my head on my hand, hiding my mouth, to keep it in. The thing was chalked full with dirty language and the one doing it actually give the chairman an …. and mustang!

Too bad some of the things written were spelled so badly that it indeed lead Surawatari-kyoto strait here, accusing the class of the wrong doing. Not that anyone of us was going to admit 'who' exactly was the culprit. For all we 'know' it wasn't any of us. 'Thought those 'innocent' looks aren't really convincing'.

All good and well, every one of us was enjoying the little rent from the idiot's in front. That was until Surawatari-kyoto took out a piece of paper holding it up to Yamaguchi-sensei to see. Telling her that "Judging from this, incident too might be something there are responsible for". Now holding the pamphlet toward us so we could see it being the warning pamphlet for the masked bandits beating up people in town.

'This isn't good.' Ogata is standing up, the other five of his crew following. Asking Kyoto "What's up with that !?" Because where it is amusing to be accused of something you did without prove, it is insulting when you are accused of something you didn't do, especially in a case like this. We may be rough, but we too have our honor. Which will be defended as Kuraki told tolled Kyoto "Don't decided on your own!" The class agreeing with a loud "Yeah ! ".

And even though it probably doesn't matter, I did notice Yamaguchi turning to Kyoto telling him to wait a minute as if she was going to defense her class. Not that Kyoto paid her any mind, just telling the class that "If you don't want to be suspected, then behave responsible". Making me roll my eyes at him. 'We aren't totally irresponsible you know.'

He was almost out of the door when he suddenly stopped. Looking up at the extra-large poster that Yamaguchi had made for the rugby competition. Asking her if she and the class were serious about it. Well the end result being the same as the days before.

~Wednesday~

The next day I was being late for school, though I couldn't be bothers to hurry up. So when I calmly walked through the back door of the classroom, thinking I would walk in the same chaotic class as always, it took me by surprise when the only voice I heard was of a very angry tomato man in front of Ichimura's desk. 'Surawatari-kyouto?'

"What's the reason? Didn't you hear me Ichimura?" He just restrained from screaming in the boy's face. "What is your reason for hitting a student form Aoshiba High School?" He leaned with his hand on Ichimura's desk, trying to intimidate the boy into talking. Or so I guess, while walking towards my desk. Nobody seeing me as usual.

"Ichimura, you have a reason, right?" Yamaguchi asked him. Trying as well to get him talking, though maybe with a different reason? "Tell us."

When Ichimura kept silent it was Kuraki who answered instead. "It was their bad -" 'Or so he tried.'

"You guys probably started it, didn't you? There's no reason Aoshiba students would start anything with you." Surawatari's little shadowpopped into the conversation. Not even a second later he was seen hiding behind the tall man out of fear for the class. 'The coward.'

"Head teacher, I will have a good talk with him. Can you leave it at this for today?" Yamaguchi requested while bowing.

Surawatari looked at her for a moment. "We'll have to consider a severe punishment for Ichimura." He told her smugly before leaving with his shadow.

The moment the door closed Yamaguchi directed her attention back to Ichimura. "What happened? You're not the type to hit someone without a good reason." She said as if she knows him so very well, 'even if he does give that impression, you can never know for sure'.

"Ichi didn't do anything wrong. Those Aoshiba bastards were getting all cocky- " Kuraki started telling, but got cut off by Ichimura himself who told him not to say anything unnecessary.

"Yeah, but… Ichi was their classmate in junior high, Kuraki tried explaining, even so those guys were saying bas stuff."

"That doesn't matter !" Ichimura suddenly stood up yelling. "It doesn't matter, does it? I got upset at him. That's all." He finished sitting down, a faraway look on his face. "I wonder if I should drop out of school." He said, shocking all of us. Yamaguchi exclaiming; "Ichimura..", totally in shock as well.

Ichimura continued, "Dropping out won't make a difference anyway. Our future won't amount to much anyway. Everyone probably thinks the same way." The stayed silent as they listened to his reasoning. "Well, I guess we can pretty much picture it. We're different from Aoshiba students. We're always suspected. In the end, we get pegged right away. Nothing is going to change, huh?"

By the time he finished I had turned my eyes downwards, not wanting to listen to it anymore, since it would leave me in an depressed state, just as the rest of the class right now. A breathless, "Why?", from Yamaguchi-sensei, was the first thing I heard next.

"Why do you have to compare yourselves against other?" She asked us. "Whether you're labeled or not, aren't you pegging yourselves? It's not the world or teachers, you're comparing yourselves against others!" She went on strong. "Then, you throw in the towel from the start, saying it's no use. Your lives aren't over at this point! It goes on and on after school is over. You can start over whenever you realize you need to." She almost glared into the class, as to get the point across.

'Your lives aren't over at this point! It goes on and on after school is over. You can start over whenever you realize you need to.' I reaped in my head while staring at the woman in the middle of the classroom. 'Who is she?' I wondered to myself, looking at a totally different teacher now.

However the spell she casted over me apparently didn't work on Ichimura, as he easily broke it and made the whole class leave. Reminding me again why I didn't trust people.

"Those are some pretty words, like some damn teacher would understand my feelings!"

~Normal POV~

Later that evening Meg walked alongside the riverbank. She was on her way to work and this route was one of her favorites as it is always very quiet during the later hours of the day. It give her time to think and retreat into her own little world away from reality. Walking on instinct, after so many days, Meg didn't even need to look where she was going anymore. However after some time she suddenly looked up. Directing her gaze towards the riverside, frowning, she thought she saw some sort of shadow. Upon closer look and walking forwards again, she slowly recognized the shadow to be a person sitting with its knees pulled up and hunched slightly forwards gazing in the water. That sure was new to see, Meg thought as she unbeknown cocked her head to the side. Even so she didn't want to feel like a weird person staring so she walked past the person averting her eyes. Only to still be able to recognize the person from her the corner of her eye. Ichimura.

Apparently after leaving the class and his friend, he had at the end of the day ended up sitting by the river, not wanting to go home yet. And one thing was certain, he wasn't happy.

After realizing her discomfort with the sight she just saw, Meg shook her head to get rid of it. She wasn't his friend nor the cause of his sadness or anger. So she didn't have to do anything with it either, that would only get her involved in unnecessary trouble which she couldn't deal with right now. She wanted peace and moreover she doesn't want to get hurt. Keeping that in mind, Meg left the boy behind and continued her walk to work.

~Tuesday~

The next day at school the five boys seemed restless. They were quitter than normal, now that one of the comrades wasn't there. Also Kuraki could be seen fumbling with his mobile during the day. At some moments there would be eye contact with one of his friend, who would send him a questioning look, but shaking his head he would once again look down at his screen. Sadness and concern evident on his face. At first Meg tried to concentrate on the lessons given, even making notes as to distract herself from the feeling the boys gave her with their little actions. When that didn't help she rested her head on her desk taking an nap instead, only to end up sleeping during the whole day and waking up in an empty classroom with the last person being Yamagichi-sensei, who was packing up her things. That was until the door opened revealing the five restless boys of today. Kuraki explaining the reason of Ichimura hitting the other boy from Aoshiba academy. Telling her that he was the one getting upset by the mocking of the Aoshiba guys and Ichimura only hit one of them to stop Kuraki from doing so. Kazama adding that Ichimura is that kind of guy. Just before they left the room, Yamaguchi stopped. She sweetly smiled at them, telling them; "You guys. You've got some good points, don't you?"

Kura telling her to, "Shut up", so to hide a little smile, closing the door behind him. The little gesture making me smile as well, as I too went to leave the room.

That evening, after work, Meg again walked besides the riverbank. Even if it is one of her favorite routes, she actually never toke it on her way back home unless she had an extra early shift. This is because it's a slight detour from and towards her home. Besides she isn't that stupid the think that taking this route was totally safe. It's so calm that if one creep would randomly decide to attack someone here, no one would ever find out until the day after. So why was she walking here late at night if she knows that? Well she didn't know either. She just had this feeling that she wanted to go this way and did so without further thinking on it until now. Seeing in the distance the sellout of a sensitive idiot who wasn't at school today. As he stood up from his place in the grass and walked away from her, she figured that he has been there for a good time of the day. Honestly she would have thought he would go to the arcade or something, but apparently she was wrong on that. Do arcades close before 8.30 PM. ?

Friday wasn't any better than the day before as the boys were still extremely worried for their friend and the possibility of his expulsion. Getting expelled for one punch didn't seem possible for Meg. In her old school there were allot of fights and the highest punishment someone got was a suspension for week not to mention al the fights she witnessed at Suzuran. No one ever got expelled there and heck they even got Izaki hospitalized for weeks! Alright Suzuran could be called 'unique' in that aspect, but still getting expelled for one punch, that was provoked in a certain way, that's too hard as well. Everyone can lose his patience at a time and make a mistake. Damn she was thinking way too much on this. Waning to groan at her own thoughts, Meg places her head on her table, wishing herself to stop thinking and fall asleep. Luckily for her the day seemed to go by fast after a good nap and doing some schoolwork.

Having extra time before she needed to go to work, Meg went to eat in a little ramen shop first. The owner there, a chubby blond man in his twenties, sure was nice to her, giving her some extra onigiri to take with her.

The moment she saw Ichimura sitting on his now usual place. She stopped walking. Biting her lip, Meg quickly grabbed the onigiri out of her backpack. She stared at it, than at Ichimura and again towards the rice ball. 'Fuck it' Meg thought in irritation. Picking an piece of paper and pen as well out of her backpack, she went to scramble something. When she was done, she walked up to the lone boy, tapping him on the shoulder before holding out the onigiri towards him to take it. Reading his facial expressions Meg could see shock, confusion and then questioning. His face holding an frown when he looked at the rice ball, then at her, back towards the onigiri, again at her before ending at the rice ball. When he didn't make a move, she extended her arm a little further towards him, indicating he should take it. Very slowly his arm moved and his hand took hold of the little boll. The moment he had it secure in his hand, Meg turned to walk away, leaving Ichimura to his confused state.

Ichimura stared after the girl who just give him the rice ball that was still resting in his hand. He didn't recognize her and so didn't understand why a random girl would do that. Most girls, well actual people, would ignore him or quicken there pace once they recognized his school uniform. People would either be scared of him of they thought he was an idiot, both resulting in people walking past him. So the fact that someone, a girl no less, would walk up to him and give him there food, left him totally shocked. It took him about 5 minutes and an loud rumbling from his stomach before he slowly went to unravel the ball from his foil. That is the moment that he saw it, the little piece of white paper. A closer look revealing the girl's little note. 'They are worried.'

They are worried?Now being even more confused than before, Ichimure repeated the sentence to himself. It didn't make sense. 'Who was worried for him?', 'How did she know that?', 'Why didn't she just tell him instead of giving him a rice ball?'

Another rumble of his stomach stopped him in his thoughts, making him decide to ignore the little piece of paper and instead eat the free food.

Hello everyone,

I wanted to apologize for the terrible late update. I really had difficulty with motivating myself to continue writing on this chapter. Seeing as I originally wanted to complete the whole episode in it. But I guess that was to big of a challenge for me right now together with school. So now it's divided in two.

I hope you enjoyed reading and remember all reviews are welcome. ;)